Notes on the fishes of Beaufort Harbor, North Carolina

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 365

NOTi:«9i0>f TBIE FSSiMJS^

OF BEAUFORT

IIARBOE:,

NOKTIt

C'AKOLBIVA.

iSy DA\flI> S.

JOKDAN Kud CI1AKI.ES

12.

GILEEIIT.

In tlieProceedings ofthePliiladelpliia

Academy

ofNatural Sciences for 1877,P13.203-218,isapaiJer entitled "Notes ontlieIsTaturalHistory ofFortMacon, K.

C,

andVicinity(No.3),"

by

Dr.H. C. Yarrow,whick treats oftbe speciesof fishes obtained

by

Drs. Cones

and Yarrow

in Beaufort

Harbor and

neigbboriug waters during the peiiod of tlieir

residenceat FortMacon.

During thepast

summer

(1878),the ^Miters, accompanied

by

Prof. A.

^Y.Brayton

and

a partj'ofstudents fromButlerUniversity,spent three weeks in the

month

of

August

at Beaufort, the chief business of the partybeing thecollectionoffishes. AVe obtained, inall, about seventy- five species,

many

ofwhich are not includedinDr. Yarrow'slist.

Forthex)uri)oseof

making

ascomplete ashowingoftheIchthyology ofthe

North

Carolina coast as possible,

we

here include not only the species which

we

have ourselves.observed, but also those taken

by

Drs.Coues

and

Yarrow. Brief notes on the local habits or distribu- tionof eachspecies are given, as well as occasionalcritical remarks on the nomenclature.

The

sequence

and

nomenclature are essentiallyasin Professor Gill's Catalogue of the Fishes of the East Coast of North America, 1873.

The

vernacular uauifs here given are onlv tliose used

by

theBeaufortfishermen.

Family LOPHIID^.

Genus LOPHIUS

Linn.

1. LophiuspiscatoriusL.

—

AU-mouth.

{LophiuscmericaniisGill,1. c.)

Not

seen alive; two sets ofjaw-bones picked

up

on the beach below

Cape

Lookout. Said tobeoccasionally taken

by

thefishermen. Until

some

evidence other than the difference of habitat is offered to

show

thatthe

American

"Angler," Lophius amcricanus

DeKay,

isdistinctfrom the

European

Lophiuspiscatorius L., it seems tous that the burdenof proof is onthe sideofthe doubtfulspecies. Itseemsbetter toconsider thetwo forms onopposite sidesof thexVtlanticasidenticaluntilproved tobedistinct,ratherthan distinct untilproved to beidentical. In the case ofthis

and numerous

other northern fishesof

mde

range. Dr.Gill

(1.c),onthe contrary, has "preferred toretainthe

names

given tothe

American

forms as distinct species, although he ^is inclined tobelie\'e thatthey will eventually be foimdto beco-specific with otherforms."

366 PROCEEDINGS GF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

DIODOXTID.^.

Genus CHILO:^.IYCTEEUS

Bibrou.

2. Chilomycterus geometricus(L.)Kaup.

—

SweJl-toad.

Yery

abimdaiit^; taken ineAery seine5 sold

by

small boys as curiosi- ties, atfrom one to fivecents each.

TETEODONTID^.

Genus LAGOCEPHALUS

Swainsou (Gill).

(Tctrodoii Gill,1. c. The geuus Tdrodon, as first restricted by Swainsou, is essen- tiallyequivalenttoArothrovMiiller, wliiclidilitersfromLagoixphahisinitsclosednasal tentacles. ThenameLar/ocejjlialu.s istheretVneacceptedbyProfessorGill forthepres- ent genns.

)

3. Lagocephalus laevigatus(L.) Gill.

Found by

Dr.

Yarrow

"in small streamsrunning-tlirougli salt marshes.

But

fewseen."

Genus

CIEBISO:\riTS Swainsou.

(ChUicliihiis Miiller, Gill,1.c. ThegenusCirrhisomusofSwainsou(1839)^isliasedon

Cliiliclithiisspenr/Ieri{Tetrodon spe»gJeriBloch).andthereforeantedatesand mustsuper- S3de CMlkldhysMuller(1841).)

The name

isgiven in allusion to the short, lleshyappendages or bar- bels along thesidesin the t^ducal specie^;. These are not foundⁱⁿ the other species of the genus, but the

name

cannot be set aside on that account. ChiUchthys

may

perhaps l>e retainedasa subgeneric nainr for those specieswithout fleshysli])s.

Clmsomiis difiers from Laiiocepludiifi chieflyin the form of the lius.

In thelattergenus, thedorsal

and

anal arefalcate,of11 to 14 rayseach,

and

the caudal lin is forked. In CirrisomHs;, these flns are idl moreor less rounded, and the dorsal and analcontain but (»to 8rays each. In LagoccphaJiis,the

body

iselongate,thecaudalpeduncleespecially so,the skin comparatively smooth, except ontheinflatedpart ofthe abdomen.

There isa fold of skin,along eachside of the tail below ^(usuallywell marked,but nearlyobsoleteinL.Jcvvigatus).

The

coloration ispeculiar, theskin havingametallic lustre. In Cirrinomus, the bodj'is com])ara- tively short

and

broad, withshortcaudal peduncle. Thereisusuallyno foldalong the lowersideofthetail.

The

colorationisusuallyvariegated,

and

without metallic lustre,

and

the prickles are variously aiTanged.

Four

_{species of}C(rri)ioi}nis are found ou our Atlanticcoast: C. titrfjidus (L.), C. festudineus L., C. trichoccjyhahiN(Cope), and C. sjyenyleri(Bloch).

The

firstis

common:

the others are rare,or occasional visitants.

4. Cirrisomusturgidus(L.) Jor.

&

(n\]K-*SiccU-toad; riijjcr.

Very common

_everywhere about Beaufort; taken in the nets with Cliilomycteriisgeometricus.

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 367

OSTRACIIILE.

Genus LACTOPHEYS

Swaiuson.

5. Lactophrystrigonus (L.)Poey.

A

^{speciiiieu in the State}

Museum

at Kaleigh, from Beaufort.

Two

specimens were foundon thebeachat Fort

Macon by

Dr.Yarrow.

Nu-

meroussi)ecimens of another species {Lactophrysquadricornis(L.)),from the coast ofSouth Carolina, are in the U.S. National

Museum.

Thisis a

common West

Indian species, not before recorded fromour coast.

BALISTID.E.

Genus ALIJTEEA

Cu^'ier.

6. Aluteracuspicauda DeKay.

—

Fool-fish.

1wither

common

in BeaufortHarbor.

Numerous

specimens obtained.

7. Alutera aurantiaca(Miteliill)Jor.

&

Gill).

—

Fool-fish.

{CeraUicunthusaiirantiacnsGill, 1. c.)

Eather

common

^; with the preceding.

We

^findno warrantforthegenus (crafacantJnis Gill, ba.sed on this species. It is certainly veryclosely related tothe preceding.

Genus STEPHANOLEPIS

Gill.

The

genus ^Sfe^)hanoIepis of Gill is essentiallyequivalent toMonacan-

tItlisasproperly restricted

by

Bleeker

and

others. In this large genus there aretwo types, which

may

be called genera, each representedon our coast

by

one species.

One

of these, which contains the most of the species,

and

for which the

name

of Stephanolejjis

may

be ^retained, hastheabdominalflap small,

and

notexceeding the ventralspine. Mon-

«c«^^f/^^^sproperhas theabdominalflap greatlydeveloped,

much

exceed- ing the .spine. Monacanthus setifer Bennett, of the former group, is

very

common

on our coast. Monacantlms occidentaUs Giinther, ofthe lattergroup,isprobablyastragglerfromthe

West

Indies. Cauthorhbuis Swainson, occasionallyused forthis latter group, is apparentlysynony-

mous

with Liomonacanthus Bleeker, over which

name

it has priority.

CanihorhinvH.,thusdefined, difl'ersfrom Monacanthusin havingtheven- tral .spine immovable,

and

tliedorsal spinewithout barbs.

8. Stephaiiolepissetifer (Bennett)Gill.

—

CommonFool-fish.

One

of the

commonest

fishes in Beaufort Harlior,

swarming

e\'ery-

whereabout the w^harves.

HIPPOCAMPID^.

Genus HIPPOCAMPUS

Cuvier.

9. Hippocampu.5antiquorumLeacb.

Not common.

Preserved

Ly

fishermen as a curiosity", and sold to visitors at abouttwenty-fi\ e cents each.

368 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

SYNGXATHIL).E.

Genus SIPHONOSTOM.\

Earinesqiie(Gill).

10. Siphonostoma fuscum(Storer) Jor.

&

^Gill>.

(f>i/iign(itliu><fii8cusetJ3fc7i('«n»sStorer.)

Veiy common among

weedsalong theBeaufortshore.

The

specimens taken were all small. Drs. Cones

and Yarrow

found this species

and

others of which

we

obtained

many

specimens, "rare,''

and

vice versa.

The

chiefreason ofthisdiscrepancyis found inthefactthat our head- quarters were in thevillage of Beaufortonthemainland,

and

ourchief collections of smallfisheswere

made among

the wharves. Their head- quarterswereat Fort Macon, on oneof the long sandislands orsaud- spits which

make

such a characteristic; feature of the ^iSTorth Carolina coast.

On

thisouterisland, "Fool-fish," "Pipe-fish," Blennies, and the like, are not found.

FISTULAR1ID.E.

Genus FISTULARIA

Linn.

11. FistulariatabaccariaL.

Two

specimens observed

by

Dr. Yarrow.

SOLEID/E.

Genus APHORISTIA Kaup.

12. Aphoristia plagiusa(L.) Jor.

&

Gilb.

xVbundant.

Many young

sijecimenstaken on the sand-shoals. This species belongs to Aphoristia,

and

notto rJa(jusia,asthelattergenusis restrictedby

Kaup and

Giiuther.

The

properorthographyofthespecific

name

isapparentlyj)Iagia, notj)lagiusa, unless the latter

was

originally a misprintiovplaijusia.

Genus ACHIRUS

Lacepede.

13. Achiruslineatus(L.)Cuv.

But

onespecimen seen

by

usat Beaufort.

We

obtained this Solein the NeuseEiver, at Goldsboro', in completelyfresh water, with Belone

lonfjirosfrisj loa vifrea, Alvordius cmssus, Noturus eJeutherus, Boleosoma

mai'idatieeps, Liuilus chlorocejjJialus, Zt/goneetes atrUafiis, Ri/hognafhns nuchalis, Micropternspallidus, etc.

PLEURONECTID.E.

Genus PSEUDOPLEUPvOI^ECTES

Bleeker.

14. Pseudopleuronectes americanus(Walb.)Gill.

Bare (Yarrow).

Not

seen

by

us.

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 369 Genus PSEUDORHOMBUS

^Bleeker.

{CluviiojisctfaandAnci/lojmtiaGill.)

lu ProfessorGill's Catalogue ofthe FishesoftheEast Coast^ofNorth America, from Greenlandto Georgia (Proc. Acad.Nat.Sci.Phila. 18G1),

many

ncAv genera are i)roposedwithout description orremark, most of

them

^{being definedata}later period.

Two

of the genera ofFlounders therenoted, Chamopsetta

and

Reinhardtliis(proposed in18G1; definedin 1864), areapparentlyidenticalwith F-seudorhomhusandFlatysomatichtitijs of Bleeker,proposed

and

defined in 1802. Itis necessary, therefore, to substitutethelatterill-chosen

names

forthepreferable

names

^ofDr.Gill, if

we

hold with the presentwriters (andmost others,

—

^{see Dall,}

Nomen-

clature of Zoology

and

Botany, 1877, pp.17, 35) that a generic

name

withouta diognosis,placed before the

names

^ofoneor

more

species, has no

more

claimon our recognitionthan an unpublished manuscript name.

The

adoptionof eitherisa matter of courtesy^orconvenience, notofduty.

Ifthe Pacific coast genus ParaJlclitht/sis trulysinistral, assupposed

by

Dr.Gill (Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 18G4, _197), itis probablyidenti- calwith PseudorJmnhns,

and

as the prior

name

itshould supersede the latter.

The

genera of North

American

Flounders which seem to be worthy of retention

may

bethuscompared

:

*Pectoralfinswell developed. (PLErRONECTiCE.)

tMonth large,tlie broad, flat maxillaryextending- tobelow the eye; teetli nearly eqnalonthetwosidesofthe jaws.

IVentralliusbothlateral, neitherofthemonthe ridgeoftheabdomen. {Hippo- (jlomna'.)

a. Bodydextral.

b. Caudalfin emarginate; teethstrong.

c. Laterallinearchedin front HiproGLOSSUS.

cc. Lateralline notarched Platysomatichthvs.

J)h. Caudalfineutiie,its middlerays i)roduced; teethmoderate; lateral line not arched.

d. Dorsalbeuinuingover eye; scalesmoderate,mostlyctenoid.

HiPPOGLOSSOIDES.

del. Dorsal beginning in front ofeye; scalesverysmall, cycloid.

PSETTICIITHYS.

aa. Bodysinistral; lateral linearchedin front.

e. Caudalfinentire. {Pneudorhomhus^or) Paralichthys.

ee. Caudalfin emarginate Uropsetta.

ttVentral fin ofthe colored side on the ridge of the abdomen; body ^sinistral;

teethsmall. {Khomhina'.)

f. Liiteral line nearly straight; no vomerine teeth: dorsal rays all

simple CiTIIARICIITHY-S.

Jf. Laterallinearchedin front^;vomerwithteeth;anteriorrays ofdor- salbranched;scales cycloid.-LopnoPSETTA.

ftMouth small,the short, narrow maxillary scarcely reaching beyond thefrontof the eye; teeth mostly on the blind side.

{Plexroiiecfinw.)

g. Teeth slender, acute, in several series; body dextral; lateral linenearlystraight,witha dorsal branch.

Proc. Nat. Mus. ^{78 24} M',\v,

11.

1

S 70.

370 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

h. Lipsplicate; dorsal fiu anteriorlytwiated over to the bliud side .,. Pleuroxichtiiys.

/(/(. Lips simple^: dorsaltin;iuteriorlyonthe dorsalridge.

Hypsopsetta.

gg. Teethblunt,usually compressed,inoneseries,formingacutting edge.

i. Bodydextral.

j. Lateralline^{^vitll}a recurrent dorsal branch.

A. Lateral hnc nearly straight; scales cycloid, those on the cheekssimilar Paropiirys.

Ik. Lateralline archedin front; scales ctenoid; thoseon thecheeksstellate or tiiberculate.

Lepidopsetta.

jj. Lateralline simple.

7. Laterallinearchedinfront; scales ctenoid..Lim^vxda.

II. Laterallinenearlystraight.

m. Dorsal rayslessthan80.

n. Scalesctenoid, closelyimbricated.

PSEUDOPLEUEOXECTES.

vn. Scales small, smooth orrough, scarcely imbri-

cated Pleuroxectes.

mm. Dorsal raysmore than100; bodyelongate;scales

smooth Glyptocephalus.

a. Body sinistral, covered Avith scattered stellatedtubercles;

lateral linenearlystraight Pi..\tichthys.

**Pectoral lius wanting (in our siiecies); mouth t^o-isted toward the colored side.

(SOLEID/E.)

0. Verticalfinsfreefromtheroundedcaudal; l)()dy dextral; ventral of the colored side cou- tinuouswiththeanal. (SolciiKV.)

p. Scalesveryrough;lateral linestraight;teeth villiform,onbliudsideonly AcHiRl's.

00. Verticalfinsconfluentaroundthepointedtail;

body sinistral; ventrals free from the anal.

(Phigusiina:)

q. Nolateral line; teeth minute,onbliudside only; ventralfinofblindside only present;

lips not fringed; snout not hooked; scales

ctenoid Apiioristia.

15. Pseudorhombus ^ocellaris (DeKay) Lyman.

—

Flouniler.

{CkmnopseUaocellaris Gill,1.c.)

Very common.

16. Pseudorhombus deutatus(L.) Jor.

&

^Gilb.

Tolerably abiiudaut (Cones

and

Yarrow).

17. Pseudorhombus quadrocellatus(Gill)Jor.

&

Gilb.

Browiiisliolive, with fourlarge ocellated spots, roundor elliptic;;] in

shape; the first above thearch of the lateral line; the three posterior lorminganisosceles triangle_; theposterioroneintheapexonthelateral line;

body

oval, compressed

and much

elevated, highest at middle of body; profile with an abrni)t angle at anterior margin of orbit; lower

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 371

eye beginiiiiig in front of the upper;

moutk

rather small, maxillary Tcacliingtobelow middle oforbit; teethcomparativelysmall, about 14 on eachsidein the lowerjaw,the caninesofupper

jaw

littledeveloped;

dorsal tin beginning in front of pupil; its anterior rays-long, filiform, iind with free tips; anal fin beginning well forwards, butlittlebehind theinsertionoftheventrals; ventralfinof colored side

much

thelonger

;

gill-openings comparativelynaiTow; branchiostegal

membranes

broadly connected at base; gill-rakers shortaudstroug,fewinnumber,lessthan 10 belowtheangleof the arch; head _3f in length to baseof caudal;

depth If. D. 70. A.55. Lat. 1. about90.

Two

specimens wereobtained inBeaufortHarbor, from oneof whicli the above description

was

taken. Thisisi)robablythe species noticed

by

Dr.

Yarrow

as Chccnopsetta oblonga. It is a rare

and

little

known

i>;pecies,noticed butonce beforeon our Atlanticcoast. Professor GiU's originaltyi^e

came

from Pensacola, Fla.

Genus LOPHOPSETTA

^Gill.

,18. Lophopsetta maculata (Mitch.)Gill.

—

Plaice.

Common

onthe sandbars.

GADID^E.

Genus PHYCIS

Bloch

&

Schneider.

19. Phycis regius(Walb.)Jor.

&

Gilb.

(Uroplnjcis regiusGill,1. c.)

One

specimen taken

by

Dr. Cones. Another

Gadoid was

described to us asbeingsometimes taken.

OPHIDIID^.

Genus OPHIDIUM

Linn.

20. Ophidiummarginatum DeK.

One

specimen observed

by

Dr. Cones.

ZOARCID^.

Genus ZOAECES

Cuvier.

21. Zoarcesanguillaris (Peck)Storcr.

Two

specimens taken ]>yDr.

Yarrow

from the wharf atFort Macon.

BLENNIID^.

Genus BLE^JsXIUS

Linnteus.

22. Blenniusgeminatus"Wood.

Very

abundant, especially about Dnncan'swharfin Beaufort.

Most

of our specimeuswere taken fromclusters of Ascidii'ius.

The

siiccimen

372 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

referred to

by

Dr.

Yarrow

as Blenniusfucorum is probably ofthis spe- cies.

Gemis HYPLEUEOCHILTJS

Gill.

23. Hypleurochilus punctatus(Wood)Gill.

Abmulimt

with the preceding

and

thenext along the Beaufortshore.

Genus CHASMODES

Valenciennes.

24. Chasmodesbosquianus (Lac.)C.

&

Y.

Tolerablyabundantalong the Beaufort shore. Specimensof boththe nominal species C. hosqnianus

and

C. novemlineatnswere taken.

They

differonlyin coloration,

and we

have no doubtthat thelatteristhemale

and

theformer the femaleof the

same

.species.

We

havereceivedspeci-

mens

of bothforms, taken in Chesapeake Bay, fromProf. P. E.TJhler.

Thisis the species called Chasmodes quadrifasciatus

by

Uhler

and

Lug-

ger.

The

true quadrifasciatus, which

may

not be American, has never beenrecognized.

The

coloration inthe male _(?),or "

C

novemlineatns,''^

isinlifeas follows: Olive-green,withaboutninehorizontalnarrowblue lines,these

somewhat

irregular

and

interrupted,

and

converging towards the lateral line; opercular

membrane and

a broad strijie through the middleof the spinousdorsal deeporange-yellow; analfin dark,thefins

withwhite

membranaceous

tips; headwithfineblack dots.

The

female _(?), or C. hosqidamiSjis dark olive-green,reticulatedwith narrowpalegreenlines

and

withseveralbroad darkverticalbars,which are

more

distinctposteriorly; verticalfins similarlymarked.

BATEACHID.E.

Genus BATEACHUS

Linnieus.

25. BatrachustauL.

—

Toad-fish.

Everj'where extremelyabundantnear the shore.

URANOSCOPID.E.

Genus ASTEOSCOPUS

Brevoort.

26. Astroscopusanoplus(C. «&V.) Brev.

One

specimen taken

by

Dr. Coues.

TRIGLIDJ^.

Genus DACTYLOPTEEUS

^Lacepede.

27. Dactylopteiusvolitans(L.)Lac.

—

Fhjing-fisJi

Eather

common. Some

ten specimens obtainedfromfishermen sein- ingin theharbor about Beaufort. Thdtrilliantcoloration inlife is ex- tremelyvaiiable.

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 373

Genus PEIOXOTUS

Lacepede.

28. Prionotuspunctatus(Blocb)Guv.

—

SlimFhjbig Toad.

Two

specimens taken.

29. PrionotustribulusC.

&

^Y.

—

CommonFhjlngToad.

Very

abundant in Beaufort Harbor. This is doubtless the species mentioned ^as Prionotus carolinns

by

Dr. Yarrow. Dr. Gill omits this strongly

marked

^speciesfrom his Catalogue, apparentlyconfounding it

withP.caroUnus{2)cilniipesStorer),whichitresemblesincolor,although

itsrealrelationsareentirely"withP.evolans. "Wehaveseen

no

specimens of"P.carolinus^^fromthecoast of Carolina,

and we

do notseehow,from the Linn^ean description,P.caroUnus couldbedistinguishedfi-omP.tri- hulas. It becomes, therefore, perhaps an open questionwhether Lin- noeus's Trigla Carolina

was

P. tribulus,or "P.caroUnus,''''or both. Lin- ineus's Trigla evolansisapparently equallyuncertain, sothatthe present nomenclature of the species

must

beaccepted asprovisional only.

50. Prionotus evolans(L.)Gill.

—

StripedFhjingToad.

Abundant

intheharbor withtheprecedingspecies.

The

followingisan analj'sisofthe characters of thespeciesofPriono- tusfoundintheUnitedStates. P.pilatusStorerisnotincluded,itbeing probablyidentical with P. caroUnus.

"ilontli.small: tliemandiblenot reacbiugtlievertical fromtliefrontof theorl>it: a,

distincttransversegroove connectingtheupperposterioranglesoftheorbit

:

preopercular spine simple, vrithout basal cusp: head short, thesi^inesonits

upper part comparatively weak: blotches on spinous dorsal well defined, ocellated. (SubgenusPrionotus.)

tBodyveryslender: sideswithnumerous roundishbrownorbronzespots.

P.punctatus(Bloch)C.

&

V.

Coloration darkolive al)Ove: back andsidescoveredv/ithnumerous round spots ofditferentsizes,andnotarrangedin series: these spotsbronzecolorin

life,becoming brownishafterdeath:spinous dorsal dusky,withlighterstreaks

:

adistinctblack spoton upperhalf of spinousdorsal,betweenthefourtliand

fifthspine,thisspotbeingocellatedbelowandbehind: asecondblack blotch on upjier half offirst spine aud membrane, also ocellated behind: second dorsalandcaudal spottedandfinelyblotchedwithblack^: anal largely black, with a pinkish border: i)ectorals blackish: ventrals pale: brauchiostegals pinkish: firstdorsalratherhigh: head 3^ times inlengthtobase ofcaudal

:

maxillary one-third lengthofhead. D.

X —

^13.A.11., lat.1. about75.

11Bodyratherrobust: sideswithconspicuousround.spot.s.

P.caroUnus(L.) C.

&

V.

Colorationbrownishal)ove,cloudedAvithdarker: throatandbranchio.stegal

membranedark: adistinct black blotchonupjierhalf of.spinous dorsal, this ocellated below: second dorsal with oblique whitish streaks: preopercular spine strong: pectoral appendages strong, ahvaj^s_(?)dilated attlieir tips:

maxillaryboneone-third thelength ofhead:head3 in Ijody. D.

X—

13,A.12, lat.1.ca.5.5.

374 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

**Moutlilarge,themandiblereachingbeyondtheverticalfromthefrontoftheorbitr

nodistinct transverse groovebet-n-eenand beliind orbits: preopercular spine witha smalleroneatbase: dark blotchesonspinous dorsaldili'use,notocel- lated. (SubgenusChriolax* nobis.)

tSidesofbody withoneormoredistinctdarklongitudinalbands: spinesonhead moderate, compressed.

P.evolans (L.)Gill.

Coloration olive-brown above,luottledandspottedwith darkerand^lighter, whitishbelow: a naiTow dark streak along the lateral line,witha broader one below^it,whichteiminatesbehindinaseriesofspotsandblotches: lower parts ofhead sometimesbrightorange-yellow^: pectoralsblackish,surrounded byolivaceous and edged with orange, sometimeswith numeroustransverse darklines: a black blotch on meml)raneof dorsalfin betweenthe third and sixth spines^: soft dorsal plain orwith two black blotchesatbase^: ventrals and anal deep orange: pectoral appendages slender,dark-colored: spine at upperjiosteriorangle oforbit but littledeveloped^: bodyrobust: head2^ in length. D.

X—

12, A.11, lat. 1. about55.

11Sideswithout longitudinal bauds: spines on headall well developed, those abovecloselycomj)ressed.

P. tribulusC.

&

V.

Dark brown on sides and above,blotchedwith darker: a black blotchon.

membraneof dorsal betweenthe third andsixth spines: seconddorsal with, severalseriesofbrownishspots,theseformingobliquebars^: softdorsal with,

two dark blotches at base, the posterior of which is continued oblirjuely

downwards and forwardsto below the lateral line: pectorals olive-brown,, with darkbauds,whicharemoredistincttowardsthetipofthefin: pectoral appendages strong, tapering, markedwith series ofdarkspots: body heavy forwanls, short and thick: occiiiital and supraorbital spines sti'oug and

"flattenedlike sword-blades^":head2|inlengthtobase of caudal. D.

X —

12.

A. 11, lat. 1. about50,

LABRID.E.

Geiiiis

TAUTOGxV

^Miteliill.

31. Tautogaoiiitis(L.)Gthr.

—

Oijstey-fii^li.

Eatber

common. The young

abundant about tliewharves at Beau-

fort.

Genus PUSA

Scopoli (tide Gill).

{CliocrojiiUsGill; HuUcharesRupp.) 32. Pusa graiidisquamis Gill.

The

original typeof this species

came

from Beaufort. Another

waa

secured

by

Dr. Yarrow.

33. Pusasp. (?radiataL.).

A young

specimenwhich

we

supposedto belongto this species, but which

was

mislaid or lost before

we had

a full opportunity for com- parison,

was

taken nearCaptain Duncan's wharfat Beaufort. Itslife- coloration

was

as follows

:

Bright green: adark

brown

lateral

band

coveringtwo rowsofscales:

*;tp£ia,want: C)'kai,farrow.

PROCEEDINGS OF

UiNITED

STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 3<5

abovetliis,threebronzebands Avitii j^recn interspaces; belowit,a

band

(tf crimson; tliese bauds runningforwards,

and

meeting"on tlie snout:

dorsalfin brightverniiUion,witha largeblue spotocellatedwithyellow nearitsmiddle, a smaller dark-blue spotatbase of lastdorsalray,

and

another at base of caudal: anal red,

mth

a j'ellowish streak: caudal nearly plain: irisred.

Length

1^inches.

ProfessorGillinforms

me

thatthe

name

PiisaScopoli

was

^firstapplied to aspecies of this most beautiful genus. If thisbe true, ithas

many

years' priorityover Chcerojulis, Haliclujcres, etc.

XIPHIID.E.

Genus XIPHIAS

Linn.

34. Xiphias gladius L.

—

Snord-fish.

'Heardfi-om' off

Cape

Lookout by Dr.Yarrow.

TRICHIUEID^E.

Genus TEICHIUPtUS

Linn.

35. Trichiurus leptu;rus L.

Several seen

by Cope

and Yarrow; nonebj^us.

SCOMBRID^.

Genus SAEDA

Cuvier.

36. Sarda pelamys (L.) Cuv.

Taken

off Shackleford

Banks

(Yarrow).

Not

seen

by

us.

Genus OECYNUS

Cuvier.

37. Orcynus tliynnus (L.) Goode.

—

Bonito.

{Orcyniisseciindodorsalis Gill,1. c.)

Frequently heardof, butnot seenbj'us.

Genus CYBIUM

Cuvier.

38.

Cybium

niaculatum (Mitch.) Ciiv.

—

SpanisliMackerel.

A

^highlyvaluedfood-fish, taken in great

numbers

inthefall, on the baidvs.

No

extensivefishing isdone inAugust,

and we

did notsee this species atBeaufort.

A

largeoneleapedon board our steamerinAlbe- marle

Sound

onour returnnorthward.

39. Cybium regale (Blocb) Cuv.

One

specimen seen

by

Dr. Yarrow.

376 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

CARAKGID^E.

Genus VOI\IER

Cuvier.

40.

Vomer

setipinnis (Mitch.) Ayres.

—

Moon-fmh; ^Sitiijish.

Taken

outhe outerbeach iuthefall; not seen

by

^us.

Genus SELEXE

Laeepede.

41. Ssleue argeutea Lac.

—

ilotni-fivh.

Taken

on the outer beach in the fall; not

common;

one specimen obtained b}'us.

Genus AEGYEIOSUS.

42. Argyriosusvomer Lac.

—

Aloon-Jiah.

Less

common

(Yarrow).

Xot

seen

by

us. There seems tobenogood evidence that ArgyriosuscapiUarisis a species distinctfromthis.

Genus ALECTEIS

Eafinesque.

{Blepliar'is,etc..Cuvier; Blephariclithys,etc., Gill.) 43. Alectris crinitus (Akerly)Jor.

A

^fewindividualstaken

by

Dr.Yarrow; none seen

by

us at Beaufort.

Most

oftheScombroidfishes aboutBeaufortare taken

by

thefishermen onthe outerbanksinthe fall,

and

hence escapedournotice.

The

genusBlej^harichiliifs Gill seems unnecessary, asthe prioruse of Blepliarisin

Botany

doesnot, inaccordance withthe generalcustomof naturalists,prevent its use iri Zoology.

The

distinctionsbetweenBJe- pilaris

and

Alectris,beingmerelyinthedegree ofobsolescence ofthespi-

nousdorsal, donot

seem

to us important.

Genus CAEAXGUS

Girard.

44. Caranguschrysus(flitch.)Gill.

—

Sunfsh.

Eather

common

in BeaufortHarbor. Several

young

specimens taken

among

thewharves.

45. CarangU3hippus(L.)Gill.

InDr. Y'arrow'slist; not seen

by

us.

46. Caranguspisquetos(C.

&

V.)Gill.

(Paratmctu.sphqnctosGill,1. c.)

One

specimen seen

by

Coues

and

Y'arrow.

Genus TEACH YlS^OTUS

Laeepede.

47. Tracliynotua ovatus(L.)GxhT.—AUovericore (Albkore?).

One young

specimen taken atBeaufort.

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 377

48. Tracliyuotuscarolinus(L.)Gili.

—

Panqmno; Simfish.

Very

abundant on the outer banks.

The young

goin great schools in thesurf,

and may

bereadilytaken in anet,

and

sometimes

by hand when

thrown on shore

by

thewaves.

Genus SEEIOLA

Cuvier.

{HalatraciusaudZonichihysGill.)

49. Seriolazonata (Mitcli.)Cuv.

One

specimen observed

by

Dr. Yarrow; not seen

by

us. Xaucrates ductor, included inDr. Yarrow'sliston thestrength of informationde- rivedfromfishermen,

we

hereomit: thespeciesis tooeasilyconfounded with the present.

STEOMATEID.^.

Genus POEOXOTUS

Gill.

50. Poronotustriacanthus(Peck)Gill.

Bare; seen

by

Coues

aud Yarrow —not l)yus.

SCI^ENID^.

Genus CYNOSCIOIy^

Gill.

51. Cynoscioucarolinensis(C.

&

^Y.)Gill.

—

Speckled Trout.

All alMindantfood-fish.

52. Cynoscionregalis(Bloch) GiU.

—

.Sea Trout.

A common

food-fish, althoughless abundant thanthe preceding.

Genus POGOXIAS

Lacepede.

53. PogoniaschromisLac6p.

—

ScuDrum.

Very common.

Genus LIOSTOMUS.

54. Licstomus xauthurusLac^p.

Abuudaut

inthefall (Yarrow); not seen

by

us.

55. Liostoinusobliquus(Mitcli.)DcKay.

—

Spot.

Xext

to theMullet, this isthe most abundant food-fish about Beau-

fort, the

young swarming

everywhere inthe harbor. Itis universally

known

as Spot.,the EobinorPin-fi.sh beingLagodon,

and

the Hog-fish Ortlioprlstis. These vernacular

names

have been transposed

by

Dr.

Yarrow.

Genus BAIEDIELLA

Gill.

56. Bairdiellapunctata(L.)Gill.

—

Perch.

Eather

common

amousf the wharves.

378 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Genus SCI^NOPS

GiU.

57. Sciasnopsocellatus(L.)Gill.—Drum.

A

rather

common

food-fish;

numerous

specimens obtained from the fishermen.

One

specimenobtained

had

Ucoocellated spotsonthe cau- dal peduncle.

Genus MENTICIRRUS

Gill.

58. Meiiticirruslittoralis(Holbr.)Gill.

—

SeaMullet.

Rather

common. The young

abundantinthe surfonthe outer beach, with TrachynotHS-caroUmis.

59. Menticirrua alburnus(L.)Gill.

I^Totseen

by

us.

60. Menticirrusnebulosus(Mitch.)Gill.

Kot

seen. Dr.

Yarrow

says that thisspecies

and

the

two

preceding are "all

more

orlessabundant in the^fiillj

when

theyarefoundin com- j)anywith theMullet

on

thesea-beach."

Genus MICROPOGON

Cuvier.

61. Micropogon undulatus(L.) C. &,Y.

—

Croaler.

Very

abundant; next to Mullet, Spot,

and

Hog-fi^h, the

commonest

food-fish inBeaufort Harbor.

GERRID.E.

Genus EUCIXOSTOMUS

Baiid

&

Girard.

62. Euciuostomns argenteusB.

&

G.

Common

in the harbor, along the Beaufort shore.

Only

very

young

specimens ^seen.

PIMELEPTERID^.

Genus PIMELEPTERUS

Lacepede.

63. Pimelepterus bosciLac.

A

^single sjiecimentaken nearDuncan'swharfinBeaufoi't.

SPARID.E.

Genus LAGODOX

^Holbrook.

64. Lagodonrhomboides(L.)Holbr.

—

EoMn;Pin-fish.

Excessivelyabundant everywhereinthe harbor.

Taken by

thethou- sand

by

boys with

hook

and line,fromthewharves. This species does notattain a largesize,

and

is seldom used as food in Beaufort, where largerfishesare so plenty. Itsvalue thereisaboutone-tenth ofacent,

and

it is thrown

away by

the fishermen.

As

elsewhere noticed,the

"Spot,""Robin,"

and

"Hog-fish"of the fishermen have been in

some

way

misunderstood orconfused

by

Dr. Yarrow.

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 379 Genus AECHOSARGUS

Gill.

65. Archosargusprobatocephalus(Wallj.)Gill.

—

Slieepslwad.

Abundant

^;

we saw

but few specimens, liowever,the proper Sheeps- lieadseasonbeing passed.

Genus SAEGUS

Cuvier.

66. Sargus holbrookiBean.

—

Spot-tailedPin-fisli.

Extremely abundant everywhere along- the Beaufort shore. This species

was

first described

by

Dr.

Bean

during the pastyear. That so strongly

marked and

so abundantaspeciesshould have solongescaped noticeisveryremarkable. Dr.

Yarrow

does not seem tohave noticed

itand Dr.Couesobtained but one specimen, the generic characters of which seem to have escaped Professor Putnam's notice, as he speaks of it as "an individual resembling 8. argyro^s,''^but differing incolor.

This specieshasbroad incisors

and

wants the recumbent dorsal si)ine.

Its colorisbright silvery, with alarge black blotch ontheupper part of thecaudal peduncle,which isveryconspicuous while the fish is in the water. Itreachesbuta small size,

and

isnot at Beaufort used a.s

food.

The

fishermen call it Pin-fish,

and

as such it is beneath their notice.

Most

of the fishermen, indeed, did not distinguishitfrom La-

(jo(lo)i i'Jiomhoides.

Genus STEXOTOMUS

Gill.

67. Stenotomus argyrops(L.)Gill.

Xot

very

common

; hardly noticed

by

the fishermen.

PRISTIPOMATID.E.

Genus H.EMULUM

Cuvier.

68. ? Haeinuluin arcuatum C.

&

^V.

Not

seen

by

us; given in Dr. Yarrow's list, but evidently confused with thenextspecies,sothat itsoccurrence atBeaufortis questionable.

The

ijroperorthograx)hy of the generic

name

^(«r,aa, blood; ori-^.ov,

gums)

is

Rwmahim,

not

HwmyJnm,

nor Hcmnilon.

Genus OPvTHOPEISTIS

Girard.

69. Orthopristis fulvomaculatus (Mitcli.) Gill.

—

Hog-fiah.

Extremely

common

everywhere intheharbor.

SERRANID.E.

Genus EPDTEPHELUS

Bloch.

70. Epinephelus morio (Cuy.)Gill.

One

specimen noted

by

Dr. Yarrow.

380 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Genus CEXTEOPEISTIS

Ciivier.

71. Centropristis atrarius (L.)Bum.

—

BJack-fsli.

Coumion,the

young

abounding-about thewharves.

PERCID^.

Genus EOCCUS

^Mitchill.

72. Roccus lineatus (Mitch.) Gill.—^i?ocA-.

jSTotseen in Beaufort Harbor, but abundant in all river-mouths, as in Is^ew

and Keuse

Elvers. Dr.

Yarrow

states that the

"young

are abundant"inthe harbor.

As

the striped female ofHydrargyra majalis is called

by

all Beaufort fishermen " Eock,"

and

asitis there usually supposedtobethe

young

of the Striped Bass, Dr. Yarrow's statement

may

i^erhaps be an error.

Genus MOEOls^E

Mitchill.

73. Morone americana (Grnel.) Gill.

—

WhitePerch.

Kot

found about Beaufort,but said

by

Dr.

Yarrow

to

abound

in the

!New

and Xeuse

Eivers.

EPHIPPID.E.

Genus PAEEPHIPPUS

GiU.

74. Parephippus faber (Cuv.) Gill.

—

Porgee; Fogy.

Common;

used asafood-fish.

POMATOMID^.

Genus POMATOMUS

Lac.

75.

Pomatomus

saltatrix (L.)Gill.

—

Dluc-fish.

Extremely

common. The

taking of this fish is the favorite amuse-

ment

of the higher grades of

summer

boardersinthis delightful port.

ECHENEIDID.E.

Genus ECHEXEIS

Linnfeus.

{Leptecheneis Gill.)

In 1862 (Proc. Acad. Xat. Sci. Phila. _239),

Prof GiU

divided the Linn?ean genusJEchencisinto

two

genera, Ediemis(the slender species:

type E. naucrates L.)

and Eemora

(the stout-bodied species: type E.

remora). Subsequently (op. cit. 18G3, 88),Eemoropsls (which has not been sufficiently distinguished from Eemora)

and ElwmhocMrns

were added. StiU later (op. cit. 18G4, GO),

Prof

Gill found,

"on

examining theworks of Linnoeus

and

Artedi, thatE. remora

was

the onlyspecies referred tothat genus

by

Linnteusin theearly editions of the Systema

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 381

Naturtej

and by

Artedi,

and

thatiu the later editious,Linnoens placed thatspecies atthe headofthegenus.'''

For

that reason,the

name

Eche- neis

was

retained forE. remora,and a

new

name,Zejjteclieneis,conferred onE. naucrates

and

its allies.

As, however, according- tothecustom

now

prevalent in Ichthyology,

we

are nottogobehind the tenth editionof the Systema Xaturne,

and

as the x>lacingof asiiecies "at the headof the genus"

had

no signifi-

cance with Linnaeus,

we

think that Dr. Gill's first restriction of Eche- neis shouldhaveprecedence over thesecond.

Tlie generaof Eelicncid'uhvthusfar

known

are,then, thefollowing:

1.

EEMORAGill:

tyiteEcheneisremora^Jj.; Echeneisjacohocahoy^e.

2.

Eemilegia

Gill: type EcheneisaustrallsBennett.

3.

EnoMBOCiiiEUS

Gill: iyj^eEcheneis osfcocJiirCnxiav.

4. EcnE:NEis Linn.: tj^ie Echeneisnaucrates L. ^* 5.

PuTHEimcHTHYS

Gill: type Echeneis Jineatus Menzies.

76. EcheneisnaucratesL.

Two

specimens seen

by

Cones

and

Yarrow.

Genus REMOEA

^Gill.

77. Remorajacoboea (Lowe)Gill.

{Echeneisremora L.)

Specimens seen

by

Dr. Yarrow, takenofl" ShacklefordBanks.

SPHYRJENIDJE.

Genus SPHYR^NA

Bloch.

78. Sphyraenaspet(Haiiy)Goode.

Young

specimens

common

^{inBeaufortHarbor.}

Our

speciesisusually calledSphynena horealis

DeKay,

without comparison withallied forms.

What

^fish

DeKay had

in

mind

is notclearly known.

We

^{identify our}

Beaufort specimens with Sphyrwna spet {Esox sphyrama L., Sphyra'na, vulgarisAuct.),the

common

speciesof

Europe and

theMiddleAtlantic.

Whether

the

West

Indian 8. picuda also occurs northward, to help form the dubious Sphyrwna horealis, is still uncertain.

MUaiLID^.

Genus MUGIL

^Linnneus.

79. MugilbrasiliensisAgassiz.

—

WhiteMuUet.

Very common

inthe harbor.

80. MugilpluniieriBlocli.

—

Striped Mullet.

The commonest

food-fish of the ]S"orth Carolina coast; everywhere veryabundant on the shoalsintheharbor.

Two

speciesof Muyil certainlyoccur on our Atlanticcoast, but they have been confounded or misunderstood

by

nearly all writers except

S82 PBOCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Dr. Gimther,

who

correctly describes

them

imderthe

names

Mugil Jine- ittiis

aud

Mugil hrasiliensls.

The

uomeuclature of both is uncertain.

The

oklestspecific name, Mugil^albulaL.,isapparently notavailable,as

itsdescription applies equallytoeither,

and

isin

some

respects incorrect.

It is,however, ijerhaps as applicable to^ilZ". hrasiliensis asthatof Trigia evolansis toour stripedPrionotiis.

The

followingis Linnieus's descrip- tion:

"MugilAlbula. M. pinna dorsali auteriore quacliiradiata. D. 4,9. P. 17. V._^.

A.-^i. C.20, XXX. HabitatinAmerica. D. Garden. Simillimus^ilf.cf/>/ia?o."

—

^(Syst.

Nat.xii,i,.520,176G).

The

diagnostic characters

and

the apparent

synonymy

of the

two

species are the following

:

«

Mugil brasiliensis Agassiz.

White Mullet.

?Catosby,ii,pl.5.

?CurewaMacgr.181,Pison70.

fMngilalhitluLinn.Syst. Nat.ed. xii,i,520, 1766.

MugilhrasiliensisAgassiz, Spix, Pise. Bras. 234, tab.72 {fideGiinther).

—

Giiuther,Cat.

FishesBrit.Mus.iii,431.

?Mugilincilis,Hancock, Lond.Quart. Jouru.Sc.1830, 127{fideGiiutber).

MugilcureynaCuv.et Val.xi, 87,andof authors.

MugilpetrosusCuv.etVal.xi, 89,andof authors.

MugilUneaiusStorer, Hist.FishesMass.89, pi. 16,^f.4 (good).

Body somewhatcompressed: anglemide bythedentarybones abouta right angle:

spaceat the chin between the dentary bones somewhat club-shaped^: scales larger, runningup onthesoftdorsalandanalfins: colorationbluish above,thesidessilver}-

withoutconspicuousdarkstripes,butwithshiningstreaks, producedbythestriatiou of the scales: a dusky blotch at base of pectorals^{: tijis} of caudal and^soft dorsal blaickish. AnalraysIII,9. Scales38

—

12. Sizelessthanthe next.

MugilplumieriBloch.

StripedMullet,

MugiljtlumieriBloch,t.298,audof authors.

MugillincatusMitchill,Cuv.etVal.xi, 96,andof nearlyallauthors.

MugilalbulaDeKay,

New

YorkFauna,Fishes,146.

MugilberlandieriGirard,U.S.Mex. Bound. Ichth. p. 20, pi. x.fig. 1(notfig. 4,which representstheyoungofM. brasiliensis).

Body little compressed: angle of mandible obtuse: space between dentary bones broadandshort,roundedanteriorly: scales smaller,notrunningviponthedorsalaud analfins. Coloration dark bluish above^; sides silvery,with series ofdarkerspots, oneoneachscale, formingconspicuouslateral stripes: aduskyspotatbaseofpecto- rals. AnalraysIII,8. Scales 42

—

^13. Thecommon"Mullet,"soextensivelysplitand

salted asafood-fish.

The

twospecies seem to occur on the

same

shores,

and

both range fromMassachusettsto South Carolina atleast.

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 383

ATHERINID^.

Genus CHIROSTOMA

^Swainsou.

81. Chirostoma menidium(Liim.)Gill.

—

Sardines.

"V\'Gfail to fiudanyevidence that Chirostoma notatum(Mitch.) Gill

and

C.menidiumare distinctspecies.

Very

abundantinthe harbor,whereit isfoundgenerallyin

company

withEngranlis vittata,bothbeing

known by

the fishermen indiscriminately as Sardines.

Genus ATHEEIi^A

Linnaeus.

82. AtherinaCarolinaYal.

A

few specimens noted by Drs. Couesand Yarrow.

BELONID^.

Genus BELOXE

Cuvier.

83. Belonelongirostris (Mitch.)Gill.

Very

abundantin Beaufort Harbor.

84. BelonehiansC.

&

V.

One

specimenobtained. This isa

West

Indianspecies,not recorded fromour coast until thissummer,

when

Prof.

Goode

received a

number

ofspecimensfi"omthe coast ofNorth Carohna. Itisprobablya resident on ourcoast, as the specimen taken

was

quite young.

iSCOMBERESOCID^.

Genus EXOCCETUS

Linmrus.

85. Exocoetus melanurusVal.

—

FJmng-fish.

"Occasionallyseen" (Dr.Yarrow).

Genus HALOGYPSELUS

Weinland.

86. Halocypselusevolans(Linn.)Gill.

One young

specimen taken in Beaufort Harljor.

Genus HEMIRHAMPHUS

Cuvier.

87. Hemirhamphusunifasciatus Ranzaui.

Very

abundant inthe harbor, along theedges of shoals.

Genus SCOMBEEESOX

Lac6pede.

88. ScomberesoxsciitellatusLeSueur.

Eecorded

by

Dr.Yarrow.

384 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

CYPRINODONTID^.

Geims CYPEINODON

^Lacepede.

89. CyprinodonvariegatusLac.

—

"Sheep's Head.''

One

specimen seen

by

ns.

Genus FUNDULUS

Lacepede.

90. Fundulusheteroclitus (Liuu.)Gill.

Very common. The

species called F.piscnJenius(^Mitcli.)Val.

and

F.

JietcroclitKS areunqnestionablyidentical.

Genus HYDEAEGYEA

Lacepede.

91. Hydrargyra majalis (Walb.)Val.—TtVA-/"(>/( (9).

Very

abundant.

92. HydrargyraswampinaLac.

Eeported asexceedinglyabundant

by

Drs. Cones

and

Yarrow.

SYNODONTID^.

Genus SYXODUS

Blocli.

93. Synodusfoeteus (Liuu.)Gill.

—

nice.

Abundant

inthe harbor.

ALBULID.E.

Genus ALBULA

^Gronovius.

94. Albulavulpes(Liuu.)Goode.

—